Dr. Benoit-Antoine Bacon Appointed as Carleton University’s 15th President

Carleton University’s Board of Governors is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Benoit-Antoine Bacon as its 15th President and Vice-Chancellor. Dr. Bacon will commence his five-year appointment effective July 1, 2018.

The appointment of Dr. Bacon follows an international search process that engaged hundreds of internal and external constituents at Carleton and in the Ottawa community.

“On behalf of the Carleton University community, I am very pleased that our comprehensive search process identified a leader of Benoit’s calibre,” said Chris Carruthers, chair of the Board of Governors.

“As Carleton begins a new era and its next 75 years, the university community will benefit from the energy and vision that Benoit will bring to the presidency. He is an experienced leader, having worked positions of progressive responsibility at other outstanding universities.

“As Carleton positions itself to respond to a changing university sector and increased competition, Benoit will play a critical leadership role in leading the organization and supporting our students, faculty and staff. On behalf of the Board, I would like to congratulate Benoit and welcome him to the Carleton community.”

An accomplished teacher, researcher and academic administrator, Dr. Bacon will assume his leadership role at Carleton from Queen’s University where he currently serves as Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic).

“I look forward to working with the whole community to leverage Carleton’s many outstanding strengths and to further enhance the institution’s relevance and impact nationally and internationally.”

Prior to Queen’s, he served as Provost and Vice-President (Academic Affairs) at Concordia University in his hometown of Montreal. His first academic appointment was at Bishop’s University where he served in a number of leadership positions including Dean of Arts and Science and Associate Vice-Principal (Research). A more detailed biographical sketch of Dr. Bacon is available here.

Dr. Bacon will assume a tenured appointment at the rank of professor in Carleton’s Department of Psychology. His research specialty is the neurophysiological and cognitive bases of visual perception.

Dr. Bacon succeeds Dr. Alastair Summerlee, who was appointed Interim President and Vice-Chancellor in July, 2017. The Board of Governors and administration extend their appreciation to Dr. Summerlee for his service to the university community during his interim appointment.

Located in the nation’s capital, Carleton University is a dynamic research and teaching institution with a tradition of leading change. Its internationally recognized faculty, staff and researchers provide more than 30,000 full-and part-time students from every province and more than 100 countries around the world with academic opportunities in more than 65 programs of study, including public affairs, journalism, film studies, engineering, high technology, and international studies. Carleton’s creative, interdisciplinary and international approach to research has led to many significant discoveries and creative works in science and technology, business, governance, public policy and the arts. As an innovative institution, Carleton is uniquely committed to developing solutions to real-world problems by pushing the boundaries of knowledge and understanding daily.

Dr. Benoit-Antoine Bacon

President and Vice-Chancellor Designate, Carleton University

Dr. Benoit-Antoine Bacon, currently serves as Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic) at Queen’s University and is the university’s chief academic, budget, and operating officer.

In these roles, Dr. Bacon is responsible for the development of the university’s budget and oversight of academic program development under the Queen’s University Quality Insurance Processes. He also works collaboratively with his fellow vice-principals, deans, and senior leadership team to ensure that operational planning is fully integrated across the university, aligns with the university’s strategic vision, and is supported by an appropriate allocation of resources.

He previously served as provost and vice-president (academic affairs) at Concordia University in his hometown of Montreal where he was recognized with an award as Concordia University’s Sustainability Champion.

His first academic appointment was at Bishop’s University, where he served in a number of leadership roles including dean of arts and science, associate vice-principal for research, chair of the psychology department and chief negotiator for the association of professors of Bishop’s University. He is a three-time recipient of Bishop’s Merit Award for exceptional performance in teaching and research.

Dr. Bacon holds a PhD in neuropsychology from the University of Montreal, after which he undertook an NSERC-funded post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Glasgow in Scotland.

His research in the field of cognitive neuroscience focuses on the links between brain activity and perception in the visual and auditory systems, as well as on multisensory integration. He remains associated with the Montreal-based Neuropsychology and Cognition Research Center (CERNEC), which is funded by the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé (FRQS).